[CAUT] Retesting

[Diane Hofstetter]

I think Ed said it all:
 
"My interest at this time is that we generate as many creative visions as possible."


His earlier email, where he suggested ways of giving the tests, that we can just barely imagine, was exciting for its possibilities-- and seemingly overwhelming for those who are trapped in the nitty-gritty of administering the already complex exam process.
 
CEU's don't need to be so complex.  They are "continuing education" not the same as the education it took to achieve RPT status.  My continuing education units are further education in the field, my education and skills to earn my license are practiced daily and are not retested, unless I go for a license in another state.
 
The suggestion of an exam written to test one's comprehension of the Five Lectures is a perfect example of a valid CEU opportunity. 
 
 There are test centers all over the US.  They are usually in community colleges or libraries.  The organization requiring testing contracts with the test centers for its members to go there and take a supervised test.  It cost me $15 to take one of my distance learning exams.  I took it online at the college test center two miles from my home.  Other weekly tests I was able to take online from home.
 
A PTG meeting, or a couple of hours before the meeting, could be an opportunity to have supervised tests.  
 
Diane

Diane Hofstetter





----------------------------------------
> From: ed440 at mindspring.com
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:52:56 -0400
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Retesting
>
> David-
> Yes. After all, the failed CAUT proposal could have been called a "great big
> gold star."
> My interest at this time is that we generate as many creative visions as
> possible.
> I don't suppose that we can begin with a perfectly realized, fully evolved
> program.
> I imagine that we will take the first steps that we can take, and that if
> they are good steps, many good and unexpected things will evolve.
> We are in the second generation of our profession. PTG made greater
> communication possible, and the email lists, such as CAUT, have brought us
> into active, daily communication with other technicians for the first time
> in history.
> It would be great if we could all stop and attend a "graduate" class at NBSS
> for a year, and that ain't gonna happen. But look at the current discussion
> about action saturation! It's happening right here.
> For example, a few of us could develop a set of exams for the "Five
> Lectures." Read the lectures, (possibly participate in an on-line discussion
> of the lectures and their implications for our work), take the exam (perhaps
> every annual and regional seminar will have an "exam room" for standardized
> tests, similar to ASE tests, which are all paper and pencil, broad range of
> tests administered simultaneously), and you have five "advanced continuing
> education credits."
> Ed S.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Porritt, David" 
> To: 
> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 9:25 AM
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Retesting
>
>
> Israel:
>
> If continuing education were required for maintaining RPT status, taking a
> class and answering some questions would no longer be a gold star but a
> professional enhancement. The problem - as I saw it - with the Passport
> program was that not doing it had no consequences. So, when I took a class
> and the instructor was too busy chatting with a friend to be able to sign my
> form I just left. If I had needed that signature to maintain my
> credentials, I'd have waited.
>
> dp
>
> David M. Porritt, RPT
> dporritt at smu.edu
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Israel
> Stein
> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 1:25 AM
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Subject: [CAUT] Retesting
>
>
>> Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:48 -0400 "Ed Sutton" wrote:
>>
>> I do not assume that there is a necessary linkage between continuing
>> education credits and recertification exams.
>> The RPT certification and recertification is/would be a category in
>> itself.
>> Continuing education credits as a voluntary demonstration of efforts to
>> expand and maintain lifelong learning can be another category.
>> The Passport to Exellence program had no bearing on RPT status.
>> Ed
>>
> Ed,
>
> The starting point of this discussion was an attempt to find ways to
> enhance the RPT certification so that it would have more credibility and
> visibility in institutional hiring. The above is just a "feel good"
> idea, that might spark some initial interest, but will very likely peter
> out - because there are no real incentives or enhancements involved.
> The Passport to Excellence program petered out - partly because of
> administrative problems, and mostly due to lack of interest. Personally
> I find the idea of handing out "gold stars" to adults (whatever shape
> or form they might take) in a continuing-education-for-its-own-sake
> scheme pretty - well - insulting. And it probably is not a very good
> motivator - it wasn't for testing, when the RPT program amounted to
> nothing more than a big "gold star", and it won't be with continuing
> education either. This is the sort of thing that denigrates rather than
> enhances our professional standing. These sort of internal "beauty
> contest" tests and quizzes might massage some egos, but they won't do
> much to improve our professional standing (or, I suspect, the pursuit of
> continuing education among our members).
>
> Continuing education requirements for maintaining the RPT certification
> can have a major positive effect on its credibility and marketability.
> Without this sort of tie-in -well, frankly speaking, there are more
> advantageous ways of using the resources and energies of this
> organization than developing and maintaining an administrative apparatus
> whose sole purpose is to hand out "gold stars".
>
> Israel Stein
>